Alone
by SleeplessSephi
Summary: My first fanfic. Inspired by a rant. All is explained within.
1. Alone

**A/N: This is my first story, so please be kind. ^^ Dont hesitate to review honestly,though. This was inspired by someone (I wont vulger names) on devianART who openly expressed their disllike of Annabeth, and proceeded to go in depth about her lack of character development and how she was all bad for Percy. I have nothing against expressing your opinion,but I had to write this to convince myself about all the things I previously thought of her...**

**Ill shut up now.**

* * *

><p>Annabeth was brave.<p>

Wise daughter of Athena, the goddess of war. It kind of came with the territory. She'd taken on people, tackled problems, and battled creatures that belonged in nightmares... and never seemed to stay there very long. But hey, no big deal right? It'd been her specialty since age seven. Yep, if she could handle Medusa, Psirens, Furies, a goddess with serious PMS, and her father (she definently saw the resemblance), she could handle anything. All she had to do was stay level-headed and keep moving forward. Yeah, she could do this...

'_Were __you __ever __alone __before_?'

She caught her breath.

The idea left her starstruck. Come to think of it, was she? Even as she was starting out, a seven year old half blood runaway on the streets, she had stumbled across Thalia and Luke. She never would have made it without them. Her mind started to boggle, like when she tried to read the textbooks at school, as her thoughts trailed off to the next situation. Medusa? No, she hadn't done that alone. She'd had a quest then. That was the only way she had made it out of camp to begin with. The Psirens? No way. She wouldn't be sane, much less alive right now. She continued down the list until there was only one left.

The Titan War.

That was a no-brainer. She had lost so many friends in that fight; Beckendorf, Silena, even some of her own cabinmates. No. No way she would try to take credit for that. She hadn't done anything worth merit.

Well... Except saving a certain seaweed brain.

He'd told her himself she had guarded his Achille's heel, and even if she hadn't noticed it at the time, she damn well knew that was 100% her. A smirk crawled unto her lips as she reminisced of all the other times she'd saved his neck. _She_was the one who'd pushed him off the bench seconds before Aunt Em, a.k.a Medusa, petrified him into a permanent garden knome. _She_was the one who'd covered him while he was (supposed to be) escaping off of a bus full of Furies. _She_had figured out how to get out of the Labyrinth. She even had the laptop to prove it. Annabeth laughed, letting her head lean forward. Maybe it had gotten so big her neck could no longer support it. Her hair fell in front of her eyes. As she went to brush it back, she focused on a small section of her bangs. It was discolored from the rest of it, being blonde. This part had faded to a gray-ish shade, almost like it had aged before the rest of her. Her stomach felt tight and her eyes started to burn as a single realization made it's way to the front of her mind.

He had taken the sky for her.

Her hands trembling, she hit rewind on her montage of memories.

Their first fight with Medusa. Yes, she'd been the one to keep him from looking at Medusa, but he'd been the one to kill her, not Annabeth. And on the bus with the Furies, shed given him her hat to turn him invisible and escape, but he'd used it to turn around and save her. He'd jumped in the ocean to keep her from being possessed by the Psirens magic, even when shed forced him to let her hear them. He'd been equally, if not more brave in the Labyrinth, and in the fight with Kronos... She didn't even want to think of how much she owed him. That was it. The tears were falling now. There was no more pretending.

"Oh gods... Percy...!"

She shot up, and looked around. He had to be here, he couldn't just be-

There was nothing.

Everywhere she looked, there were endless pine trees, and in one direction, an even wider sea. The summer wind brushed her face like his hand used to, and she could swear on the River Styx she smelled him all around her.

She was crying now, really crying.

All the feelings that made her whole body shake, that made her heart feel like it had been rung out like a towel, that made it impossible to have one sane thought, or to take one breath without screaming, she let out in sobs that didn't suit someone as composed and strong and mature as she was.

Or rather, as she seemed to other people.

Truth was, Annabeth wasn't any of those things. She couldn't have been. If you had asked anyone, they would beg to differ, and seven months ago, she would have done the same thing. But Percy had held it in place. The four years since she'd met him, he changed her. He broke pieces of her, fixed them, and even created new ones, all in such beautiful wrapping. She'd let him so close. Thinking... knowing he was her permanent.

That seaweed brain was what kept her together.

And there was no way she could do this. Not alone.


	2. Angry

**A/N: Hello, all~! Sephi here. This is chapter two to _Alone_****, my first fanfic. This chapter is specifically dedicated to ****Aquar0cks for the lovely review you left on the first chapter! I just needed to know someone was interested in/ liked my fanfic to continue it, and you were that person. Thank you. :) Anyway, I dont know where to go from here. :/ Maybe all the characters from the first books reminiscing on Percy being gone, or the Prophecy of Seven children... idk. Pointers maybe? Would help a TON. But all I ask of any of you is honest (constructive) criticism. It would mean so much to me to know what you think.**

**Since I forgot this on the first chapter like a dimwit, here's my disclaimer;**

**I HAVE NOT, WILL NOT, AND DO NOT OWN ANYTHING RELATED TO THE PJTO SERIES OR ITS CHARACTERS. THEY ALL BELONG TO RICK RIORDAN.**

**... good?**

* * *

><p>Percy was angry.<p>

Thinking of the what he did and did not remember, trying to put together a puzzle that would ultimately never create a whole picture. His fists clenched and his head started to hurt. To sit there and deal with things just as they are, helpless and unable to change them. No...

That just wasn't his style.

Sitting on the stump where Lupa the Wolf had left him, he wanted to tear down every tree in this stupid forest with his bare hands. All he ever did was train. That's all she ever_ had _him do. She said he best be prepared before charging into things, but at this point, he doubted he was ever getting anywhere. He had met Lupa the night he woke up, alone and confused, near the edge of the forest... What was it? Eight months ago? Yeah, and since then, he'd basically sat here and let her convince him time and time again that it was best for him to stay put and be patient until "the time was right". Now, don't get him wrong, he respected her opinion and all, but he had no idea when "the right time" was, and he didn't want to sit and rot until he found out.

Frankly, this whole thing pissed him off.

Since he'd woken up, Percy had come to three conclusions. One, he had no idea where he came from, where he'd been, or who with before he'd come to the forest... or how he got there. Two, He was a demigod. Yeah, that kind of demigod. The Roman half-god half- human children of the affairs gods had with mortals. The hero kind. And he was a son of the sea god, Neptune. That or he was Moses, cause he could split water, walk on water, bend water, pretty much anything he wanted to do with water. He also figured out he could breathe underwater, which was cool for all of three seconds, until he realized he had all the same powers as Spongebob. Lastly, and he wasn't sure why, but _something _kept distracting him. Like a song that gets stuck in your head all day, except this had been stuck in his head for eight months. Anytime he wasn't completely focused, his mind would trail off to it. It was a picture. A still shot of a girl; tall and slender, blonde, with powerful gray eyes that forced you to stare. She was smiling and her eyes were shining. He had to admit, she was beautiful. Normally, that might've been weird, considering he had no idea who she was, but Percy wasn't sure if that was true. He knew her name.

Annabeth.

Thinking about her made him sad. He felt like he should know something. Something else besides her name, like there was something important about her, and it frustrated him. He wasn't sure, but he had a pretty good idea he knew her from before, and if he found her, he might remember whatever it is he didn't. He might remember more about her. But he first had to _start _looking, and with Lupa stalking around like a Mother Wolf, he would need one of those big bad gods just to give him a boost. He brushed his hair back with his hand with a sigh. It was still wet with the sweat on his forehead from fighting. He would have cooled down in the creek about two miles away, but Lupa insisted he fight out of his comfort zone, a.k.a., away from water, so he had to rely on good old-fashioned wind to do the trick. It really wasn't working, considering it kept on blowing his hair right back where it started. He groaned. Leaving it there was less of a headache. He closed his eyes for a long second, then, as his eyelids fluttered open, he caught a glimpse of the gray streak of hair in his bangs. Atlas...

Atlas?

Where did that come from?

Percy felt a pounding in his head. He grabbed his ears to block out the silent noise that was deafening him. This never happened before. Once in awhile, something would be familiar and trigger a memory (if you could even call it that), and he'd think, _maybe_ he was onto something. Never like this. It never just... hit him like it did now. He started breathing hard, and his senses were on overdrive. He was looking around, registering every movement in the trees, every whistle of wind in the grass. His heart was racing. Was he dying? No, he was pretty sure he'd done that before. Panicking? He doubted it. He couldn't even think enough to be paranoid. He stood up.

He had to get out of here.

It didn't matter what it was, the only thing he knew was he couldn't sit here another second. He stood up, and the sudden movement made him dizzy. He collected himself. He had his sword, and he had his anger. Thats all he needed. Lupa had once warned him that dangerous tempers were a flaw for children of Neptune, but right now, his anger is what was guided him. Anger at himself for not remembering anything, anger at Lupa for trying to stop him, anger at the world for toying with him like this. He eyed the ground, tracing her pawprints as far as he could see. For all he knew she was out hunting, finding food for her newest cub.

"I'm sorry." he whispered.

He knew it was better to be safe than sorry, and he knew, in the end, Lupa was right. But the thing was, even if he didn't know himself very well, he knew that that was _not _how Percy Jackson operated. He had to figure things out, carve a path by himself. He had a feeling that his started with Annabeth .

"I'll find you," he promised, "I swear."

As he continued down through the forest, he began to grow more and more confident, even smiling. He might be alone, but he had a goal, and a friend in his heart. He had all the support Lupa had given him, and hoped she'd find it in her heart to forgive her runt. And most importantly, he had the power of the sea, his most favorite thing in the world, at his side. A wise old fisherman once told him, "The sea does not like to be restrained."

He was more right than he'd ever know.


	3. Determined

**A/N: Zzzz... Zzzzz... Zzzzzz...**

**I wish! Dx I started typing this last night, at around 11:00 and finished at... 3:30 a.m.! But the story itself wasnt the problem. It actually came out a lot smoother than planned. It was my lack of sleep thereafter. =_= I'm running on four hours of sleep... *snores* Anyway, this chapter, again, goes out to Aquar0cks. You've been amazing support and an awesome new friend since chapter one. And it was your idea for a chapter in Thalia's perspective. This one's for you. :) If you have anymore ideas, you KNOW I'd love to hear them! Please, enjoy the product of my stubborn nature and insomnia. XD**

**Here's the "d" thing. :/**

**DO I LOOK LIKE RICK RIORDAN? DO I MAKE HALF THE MONEY HE DOES? IF I DID, WOULD I BE POSTING ON FANFICTION? (no offense, love ****this site) ****NO. I'D BE ROLLING IN DOUGH SO HIGH ****I WOULDNT BE ABLE TO FIND A PEN AND PAPER, AND ID'VE HIRED 300 SLAVES TO WRITE MY BOOKS FOR ME. SO, TO CONCLUDE, I OWN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING IN THIS STORY. KAPEESH? O.e**

* * *

><p>Thalia was annoyed.<p>

The sun was shining, the air was the perfect temperature, not too humid, not lukewarm, the view was amazing, and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. She could see charms of finches in the distance. She took a deep breath, and the soothing smell of pine trees enveloped her. It was the middle of summer, definitely busy season in Virginia Park, but not a single tourist could be seen from where she was sitting. It was quiet and comfortable, nothing less than ideal.

So basically, she hated it.

Before she left, she had recruited all the Hunters she could get her hands on. It was probably presumptuous of her to think that, with her being unprepared herself, she could get more than a few together at most. It really wasn't her fault. The tip had come in from a deer, who had reported to a satyr, who had reported to Chiron, who had (cautiously) reported to Artemis, who then let Thalia know that a John Doe, fitting the description of their wanted man, was spotted in a remote national park in Virginia. She expected her usual trusted warriors; Angelina, her right hand girl, Jessika, her left, Gabriella, who had previously advised Zoe Nightshade, and loyally took her place behind Thalia when she became their leader, Elexis, the youngest of the girls, but the fiercest hands down, and maybe a couple more, if she was lucky. As usual, it was impressive how wrong she was. Not only did _they _come, but she literally had every single accountable Hunter to fill her ranks. Normally, that'd be great. The more the merrier right? But you try packing 32 hormonal, un-aging girls with space issues into two minivans and a fruit truck, only to prep them after you were halfway there that your so-called "emergency" was looking for, of all things, a boy that half of them didn't know and none of them cared about.

Yeah, exactly.

The best way she could describe it was like babysitting children. Whining, spoiled, rotten, mean little children. Thalia couldn't stand kids to begin with, but these brats were looking to her for authority, while also disregarding it. The Hunters hated men, she got that. She'd agreed to abstain from them when she joined, too. But as their leader, you'd think they'd respect her one personal request. She always acted in service to Artemis. Everything she and the girls did was either approved by their immortal leader or came as a direct order. As unlikely as it was, she even consented to this mission. But even that didn't stop them from openly expressing their disgust in partaking in it.

"Lady Thalia," Elexis started shyly, "Beg my pardon, but what makes this... _boy _so important?"

"Yes," a girl in the back seat, Adrianna, added, "This is not an issue Our Lady Artemis would normally adhere to. Heroes, especially male heroes, are not her concern. Nor should they be ours."

Man did it annoy her how they talked. Thalia never understood that. Like, how becoming an immortal fighting maiden all of a sudden improved your grammer. Even her, being the leader of the guilty party, still used words like "yeah" and "you". She swore it was some holier-than-thou concept. But right now she had to focus, even if it was difficult. Hunter or not she was still a demigod. Half-blood daughter of Zeus. Which meant she still suffered from the symptoms of being one, i.e., ADHD.

"Um... Well..."

She was having a hard time answering. His "importance" wasn't relevant. It's not like that's why she wanted to find him. It was different than that. As she tried to continue, an older girl, Danielle, spoke up.

"That is not the point. Lady Thalia is partial to helping this hero in particular. Do we not remember our battle with Kronos?"

Thalia's eyes snapped up, "Danielle..." she warned, with a dangerous edge to her voice, "Think before you speak. You know what will-"

"I am well aware, My Lady," she interrupted, "but, I believe it is not only fair, but yourduty to properly inform your subordinates of the motives behind this potentially dangerous "personal request" you have called onto them for. Preparation may have saved more of our girls then,_ leader_."

She had never heard such audacity. She was at a loss for words. And what was Danielle implying? Her hands started to shake.

"I agree." Patricia, a friend of hers, joined, "We shan't be dragged into something without, in the very least, knowing the specifics."

She clenched her jaw.

"How close are you to this hero?" Another brave soul added.

"Has to hit home on some level." She couldn't tell where that one came from.

"My Lady..." Gabriella continued slowly, carefully choosing her words, "You couldn't be.."

Something snapped.

"ENOUGH!"

The whole car went silent.

That was it. She couldn't take anymore. These girls better start praying to the closest deity that the anger management skills Thalia had learned from Chiron kicked in, or else they were about to deal with, quite literally, one huge storm of emotions that no handbook or roleplay could ever prepare you for.

"How... DARE you all come at me with such blatant disrespect? Do you forget who you are speaking to?" Wow, guess it came out when you least expected it, "I answer to Lady Artemis and Lady Artemis ONLY! I need no explanation as to my motives, nor do I owe anyone ANYTHING! Our Lady has approved this mission and that is ALL you need to know! And if you don't like it, you can blame HER!" She turned her entire body, and put everything into one good accusing finger, aimed straight at Danielle. The look on her face was priceless. Thalia didn't necessarily like throwing her authority around, but this was getting out of hand. Plus, the cocky princess deserved it.

After that, hardly anyone spoke. They drove over 100 miles, and stopped at a rest area right on the outskirts of the Virginia state border. As everyone was filing back into their respective vehicles, Thalia sighed, and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Guess it had to come out sooner or later.

"Listen..."

Everyone slowly stopped moving, focusing their attention on their leader.

"The reason that I called you all together... It's because I need your help."

She swallowed. Her pride was fighting her, trying to make her shut up, but sensibility was coming strong, easing the difficulty some.

"I want to find this guy... because he's my friend. He was my friend before I joined, and he disappeared. He's really important-" she cleared her throat, catching herself mid-sentance, "t-to my friend. You remember Annabeth, right?"

Some of the girls nodded.

"Well, it's her boyfriend. He's been missing. For eight months now. I wanna help her."

There was a murmuring in the crowd. She couldn't tell what they were saying, but she hoped that, somehow, they understood.

"Lady Thalia?" Jessika asked.

"Yeah, Jess?"

"Who exactly is this boy?"

"His name," she took a deep breath, "is Percy Jackson."

* * *

><p>So here she was, stuck. She had no idea what to do, or where else she could possibly look. She didn't even have a clue where her Hunters were. Considering half of them hated her for her outburst earlier, she wouldn't be surprised if they'd stopped hours ago and were just cleaning cottages with adorable little forest animals to pass the time. She wanted to go home. She wanted to book it to camp and let professionals, like the police, handle this. She felt like a failure. She came all this way, went through all the trouble to get here, but it was all for naught. She hated losing. She hated letting those closest to her down. She hated people being disappointed in her. The only other time she'd felt like this was...<p>

Luke.

Anger replaced her despair. She stood up, and stared over the empty plane. She wasn't one to repeat her mistakes. Luke... Luke dug his own grave. She had to believe that. To let someone control you with grief, it just wasn't something Thalia Grace was privy to. She loved Luke. He was her best friend and brother, and what happened to him haunted her to this day. But she would overcome it. And she would find Percy.

She had to.


	4. Tired

Chiron was tired.

He was listening to Frank Sinatra, which made him tired; he and Mr. D. were playing pinochle, and he was tired of winning; the air was warm, and he was covered in a blanket from the waist down, which would make anyone tired; but most importantly, he was having major deja-vu.

He was sick and tired of it.

There was a faint smell of strawberries coming through the window of the Big House. The fruit was at it's peak now, and the aroma was intoxicating. He was careful not to let it take him over, knowing Dionysus charmed it to grow. He knew far too well what happened last time, and he was NOT going to take the fall for his fellow cantaurs a.k.a, "The Party Ponies" if they somehow found their way through the magic border surrounding the camp again, became drunk, and caused unseen amounts of fun and chaos. He still swore on the River Styx he had no recollection of inviting them in, but his brother had fair-warned him, and Chiron wasn't eager to find out what Zeus' definition of obliterate was. The sun was blazing down on the panes of the roof, but they, being under the porch awning, weren't really bothered by it. This is how they'd spent a majority of their summer days. Entertaining themselves while still watching the campers, as were their duties. But there was a stark contrast between the two counselors. On one hand you had Dionysus, forced here by his father Zeus for a rather... adulterous matter, which we shall not get into, and who was more interested in beating the high score on Pac-Man then anything involving the camp. Then, on the other hand, you had Chiron. An intelligent and widely- respected centaur known for none other than training heroes. He had a long spreadsheet of famous students and prodiges, and he was always eager to take on more. This job was perfect for him, and he never had an ill word to say about it.

That is, until now.

"Who stuck an arrow up your butt?"

Mr. D. asked, as if on cue, slightly peering over his hand of cards. He avoided locking eyes with his uncle.

"Such atrocious language," Chiron retorted, "I've no idea what you mean."

"Okay..." The pudgy man sighed, and shifted in his seat until his elbows were on the table and his hands supported the weight of his head, "Don't play games, alright? I won't waste my time begging you for answers. You've been sitting there pouting like a teenage girl all day, you'll chew your lip off if you think any harder, and you've been LETTING your hair gray. I don't need to play Sherlock Holmes to figure out you, my friend, are one unhappy fellow. You're talking to the god of happy."

He had a point there. Dionysus had probably long since sensed that he was distressed in someway, and he was willing to bet he didn't wait to ask to torture him with answering, much less prove his disinterest, but that didn't mean Chiron was ready to talk.

"It doesn't matter."

"_What _doesnt matter?"

"Nothing."

"What thing?"

"_No _thing!"

"It's something."

He would've gone on with the charade, but he could tell he was starting to get on the god's nerves. His eyes bore through him, extracting his deepest thoughts. He knew this trick, but he was tired. Gee, there was that word again.

"Its just..." He sighed. He wasn't used to being the one venting. "I seem to be, how do you say it..."Stuck in the past?" He peered shyly at his pinochle partner, who was staring intently at him. His eyes were expectant, but had a glossy look too. Like they urged him to speak but also reminded him that what he had to say wasn't his biggest priority. He accepted the invite.

"I have escorted and trained heroes practically my whole lifetime. Much, much longer than you, and I wasn't forced into it. You must understand that this... _this _is my life. And I would have it no other way." He took a deep breath, releasing it as he continued. He could feel his throat getting tight, "I believe each and everyone of these children has equal bravery and potential. I have faith in them. But, as every teacher does, I inevitably end up with a few favorites." He smirked, then, with a slightly reassuring knod from Mr. D, he continued, "As it ends up though, many a hero's fate end in tradgedy. That seems to be the path bestowed upon my most notable prodigees, Achilles and Heracles for example.

They came to me young and defenseless, and I trained them to be wise and strong. They were brave warriors, who fought in the name of their people, their land, and the King the gods. They deserved no less than eternal happiness, but they were both struck down. One by man, and the other by madness. Men cursed with a destiny far too heavy and undeserving. Now, it is happening again. History inevitably repeating. This time with-"

Something in the pit of his stomach made him stop talking. He felt like if he said it, it would be guaranteed. Cemented into time like ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Like someone would quote him and it'd be in the next addition of Greek mythology textbooks.

He just couldn't say his name.

Sure, he'd been gone almost eight months now, and yes hed been out in the mortal world, virtually unprotected on his own, and Chiron had indeed seen half-bloods die under better circumstances, but even the wisest, oldest centaur still held strong to superstition. 'Names are power,' He always told his students, and now was no exception.

"Who?"

Dionysus interrupted his train of thought. His eyes were still glued to Chiron's, but he had an understanding in them. He knew what he was going to say. He had known from the beginning.

His eyes stung, "I..."

The man opposite him furrowed his brow.

"Percy."

It shouldn't have been a huge surprise they said his name in unison. Everyone at Camp Half-Blood had been inquiring about their missing, self-appointed leader since the beginning of the summer session when he was absent for the first time in four years. His name was just as common as 'good morning' or 'whats up?', and naturally the pair were in charge of damage control. They'd lied, made excuses, and even sent out secret search parties to find him, but none of it seemed to make a difference. He was still gone, still in danger, and they still had to deal with all the questions.

Chiron huffed, " I... I got careless. I should've trained him more," His hands were trembling, and he could hear his voice shaking. "He was my responsibility, and I... I let him down. I let everyone down." His expression was dark, and only hardened as the reality of his own words set in. It _was_ his fault wasn't it? No matter which way you looked at it, he was there to keep him safe. Percy's mother, his father, and even the gods themselves trusted him. There was simply no passing it off. No delegating the blame this time. This wasn't like Thalia. He had no way of knowing Percy was alive.

"..."

Dionysus observed Chiron.

"What?" he added miserably, "Nothing to add now?"

The god stood up, and he prepared for the very worst of lectures, but it was quite the contrary.

"No," he replied, "Nothing at all."

With that he got up, took a deep breath, that Chiron could've sworn sounded... sad, and dissapeared in a cloud of violet smoke. Leaving behind a winning hand of cards, the slight aroma of red wine, and a hopeless centaur.

"What a graceful exit." He growled.

He felt like he should be angry. Mr. D persisted and persisted, and for what? So he could dissapear as soon as he got his answer? So he could leave him alone with his own admition and that disgusting, unchangeable atmosphere? But for some reason, he was the opposite of upset. He was grateful. He felt like he needed this time to think. To sort out these feelings of his, maybe make a plan to find his missing student. He sighed heavily, "May the gods..."

He hesitated.

No, he knew what he should be asking.

"Melannippe... Can you hear me, all the way up there?" He looked up at the white ceiling, as if it were transparent, and he could see the stars through the concrete and sunlight. His chest felt tight, as if his heart was closing up, trying to protect itself from this self-inflicted attack. "My dear, your father needs your help, some guidance. Please," his voice cracked, "If you have any love left for me at all, please. _Please._ Watch over him."With that, he formed a claw over his heart and pushed outwards. Disperity must have gotten to the old centaur, considering he couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken to her. Admitadly, he did feel lighter, and the old Frank Sinatra song that was playing and the lifeless room of the big house wasn't_ quite _so depressing anymore. But as he looked out the window, he saw a lonely girl on the edge of the peer. Her feet were dangling over, and even from this distance, he could see the far-away look in her eyes as her gaze fixated across the ocean. He remembered himself in the same disposition. Looking over a long stretch of forest, wondering if she'd ever come back to him again.

"Oh gods..." he whispered.

With that, a single tear fell down his cheek. He was far too proud to cry, ever, but he figured a single sign of weakness made him no less a man then he already was. He would never give up hope, but he felt as though this time his goal was out of reach. Like Percy was just beyond his grasp, just like his daughter in the sky.


End file.
